Exotic Gardens: A South African Rock Pile

You know, not all gardens start with a love of plants. Sure plants are important, perhaps even a requirement (some would argue) for a 'garden' to be a garden...but, as this amazing South African plot shows, they don't have to be the raison d'etre for creating an amazing outdoor place.

The beginnings of this garden were simple, Geoffrey Armstrong and Wendy Vincent (both artists) started collecting things they loved...specifically rocks.

The collections grew and new collections were created -including plants - which friends passed along.

Slowly, over 10 years, the pair have created an amazing garden that they never really set out to build.

Along the way they became members of Operation Wildflower (OWF) which is an association of plant lovers who save plants to be destroyed when development transforms a piece of natural vegetation into a township, road, dam, mine, etc. The members collect and replant them on their own properties, rather than seeing them bulldozed and lost. South Africa is blessed with a rich botanical history and this group hopes to help it remain the pride of the nation.

Operation Wildflower brought more plants, and donated rocks from farming neighbors have, over the years, transformed the hillside - proving that not all gardens emerge only from a love of green things.

To read more about the garden and it's creators, see a full article at Visi.